| Grocery Shopping |
You know that big white box in your DVC villa that blows cold air when you open the door? It’s not an air conditioning unit. It’s a refrigerator. Yes, a refrigerator! Just like the one you have at home! And, just as at home, if you put stuff in your DVC refrigerator, it will keep the items cold! The words “cooking” and “vacation” may not belong in the same sentence for many, but for others, using that kitchen is just another way to make Disney vacations more cost-effective. Just buying things like soda, bottled water and ice cream (for those late nights on your balcony) will save you enough to afford an extra set of Mickey ears by the end of your trip. The problem is how to actually get things into the white box. Read on… Resort Grocery Order
Resort Grocery Order All DVC resorts feature a general store which stocks several dozen items guests may purchase and store in their own villa kitchen. The selection and item prices vary from one resort to the next. Most items are priced considerably higher than grocery store prices, and the list of items available is fairly limited. Beach Club Villas Guests may also elect to fax their grocery orders directly to the resort (prior to their arrival). For a nominal $5 service charge, items will be delivered to the guest room upon arrival. Those who do not wish to use the delivery service should find the same items in the resort store upon arrival. Grocery Store Some of the more popular chains in close proximity to Walt Disney World are: Albertson’s (www.albertsons.com) Each of the above websites has a store locator function. Once you decide on a store to visit, use MapQuest (www.mapquest.com) to obtain driving directions from the airport / Disney resort / other point of origin to a specific store. All DVC resort addresses are listed on the MouseOwners.com resort Overview pages. Note that many grocery stores now have discount card programs as a requirement to get the best sale prices on specific items. Signing up for these programs normally takes less than 5 minutes, and frequently can be done online. There is no fee to participate. If you should arrive at the resort before your room is ready, Bell Services can store your refrigerated and frozen items for you. It would be wise to segregate your items prior to handing them over. Bring a Sharpie marker along and clearly label the bags “refrigerate” or “freeze” to eliminate confusion. When your guest room is ready, Bell Services will deliver your grocery items along with the rest of your luggage. Limo / Towncar Grocery Stop
Grocery Store Pre-Order Albertson’s staff will assemble the order an hour or so prior to the scheduled arrival time, and store the items in a refrigerated cooler. When the guest arrives, they will immediately begin to ring up the items. Going this route you can save quite a bit of time, while avoiding the surcharges involved in using a shopping service. This is a great alternative for those using a limo / towncar service grocery stop, and who have limited shopping time. Important notes:
(Thanks to InstImpres for information provided in this section.) Shopping Services In using services like this, you do often sacrifice some control over the items purchased and the cost of your order. You can be as specific as you wish in your instructions, but you have little room to argue over specifics when they arrive at your door with your grocery bags. Be sure to thoroughly investigate the pricing structure of these services, and ask other members for opinions on the MouseOwners forums. |